Take Your Clothes Off, Montreal!

July 9 & 10, 2011 Place des Arts (indoor)

Sat 1PM-6PM / Sun 12PM-5PM

Admission: $10 minimum donation

This weekend S.W.A.P Team has arrived in Montreal to throw a giant clothing exchange at Place des Arts. I asked myself on the metro this morning: who are these garment guerrillas that have penetrated Montreal's foremost house of arts and culture? A very good looking non-profit social enterprise run entirely by volunteers with a mission to encourage a culture of swapping previously loved garments. They throw down clothing-swapping parties in Boston, Halifax, Toronto, Calgary. Any city can be the next to join their ever expanding empire! They've got a "Sex-in-the-City-esque"website, too (did I just write that?) In other words, they mean to conquer Montreal.

The SW.A.P Team is also set to educate clothing consumers and passersby alike in the downtown shopping core about why recycling clothing is an important social movement to embrace.

FACT:

(By shed I think they mean, discard...not rip off in passion...but I hope this fact statistic is true for the latter, too.)

Shoes up for grabs at the S.W.A.P. 11:00 AM 09-07-2011

Here's how it works:

Saturday July 9th and Sunday the 10th between the hours of 12 and 5 get yourself to Place des Arts with up to 10 items of clothing you wish to donate to the SWAP. Your items will be checked by volunteers for cleanliness and general swap-worthiness (they advise you bring your best laundered pieces of clothing, shoes and/or accessories.)You'll be issued a ticket for each item they accept and then you are free to choose one item per ticket from the well arranged stock. It's such a fantastic way to get some value out of those great things you thought you'd wear but didn't, wore once, grew out of, etc.

The best thing is that you'll emerge anew in fantastic recycled duds! For example, I couldn't resist this amazing Canada post stamp tie:

I'm also thrilled with this hounds-tooth pattern skirt (from Bloomingdale's no less), this great black vest with serpent buttons by a Toronto designer and an Italian made Aldo basket weave purse. All these things exchanged for clothing I no longer liked! My shoes are from Local 23, Annex's sister store where we buy/sell and trade clothing.

Send us your Post-Swap balcony fashion show photos. Why not?

SWAP TEAM will be donating the clothing that doesn't find a happy new home this weekend to charities, who then use the clothes for local community programs. We at Annex Vintage are proud to support this initiative. We've donated lots of items to the SWAP. Happy hunting!

-Meaghan